Help:Talk Pages
• • • Community Portal • • • On the wiki, there are two basic types of talk page. These are the article talk page and the user talk page. It is important to understand the distinction between the two as they both serve specific functions. Article Talk Pages The article talk page is a place for wiki editors to discuss changes made or going to be made to the article the talk page is connected to. When posting on an article talk page, it is important to remember that the message (especially if it is the first message on the page), is directed at everyone. Unlike user talk pages, unless a user is directly replying to another user on the thread, and even then, the user's thoughts and comments are intended to be read and replied to by anyone and everyone. It is important to remember that discussions on article talk pages are only meant to relate to the article on the wiki, not the content of the article. For example, the article talk page of the M4 Sherman is a place to discuss the addition of new sections in the article, not whether the Sherman was an effective tank design, or whatever other historical debate comes to mind. These are best saved for the wiki forums. As a place for improving the wiki, remember that everyone on the wiki wants to achieve the same goals, so be civil in your discussion and keep an open mind to others' suggestions. How to access article talk pages Article talk pages can be accessed by clicking the talk button next to the edit button at the top of any article. They will always featured the following template at the top: To add a new topic, click the add topic button. To edit a response, click the down arrow and select the edit button to edit the whole thread. Remember to always sign your responses by typing "~~~~". You can indent your replies by placing a colon (":") before them. User Talk Pages The user talk page is a place where editors can congratulate each other on their achievements, discuss wiki matters, or simply talk freely between each other. Although user discussion can be seen by all, it is generally kept to only the writer and receiver of the various messages, not to the wider wiki community. For more private discussion, the wiki chat can be used. After a chat session is closed, all messages are lost permanently. To leave a message, simply: #Go to the intended user's page #Click talk page #Click leave message (to write a new message, click the down arrow and edit to edit a previous message) #Write the header of your message in the section header box on the top right of the editing panel #Write your message and end it with "~~~~" #Click Publish You can indent your replies by placing a colon (":") before them. Archiving Talk Pages Talk pages for articles are not archived, primarily because it is doubtful that they will ever become so full as to require an archive, and because it is helpful to be able to see the complete record of the page's discussion at a glance. Since user talk pages are often used more often, they do require occasional archiving. To do so, create a new sub page by clicking contribute, add page, and write "User:Example/Archive 1". From there, you can cut as much from your existing talk page as you wish onto the archive page. To organize your archives, add the to your talk page and follow the instructions on the template page. As a rule of thumb, do not archive other users' talk pages. It is up to them to decide when they wish to archive. __NOSHAREDHELP__Category:Help ---- ''Back to ''